ST JOHN’S: West Indies have appointed former captain Daren Sammy as coach across all three formats of the game, handing him control of the Test team from next year in addition to the One-day International and Twenty20 sides.

The current Test coach, Andre Coley, will remain in charge for January’s series against Pakistan before moving into a high-performance role, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said in a statement.

“Daren Sammy has demonstrated exceptional leadership during his tenure with the white-ball teams,” said CWI President Kishore Shallow. “His vision, dedication, and ability to inspire players make him the ideal candidate to lead across all formats. This appointment marks a bold and exciting step forward as we strive to elevate West Indies cricket to new heights.”

Sammy, the first St Lucian to play international cricket, captained West Indies to T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016 and took charge of the white-ball teams as coach in May 2023.

He will celebrate his 41st birthday on Friday.

West Indies are currently ranked fourth in the T20 world rankings, eighth in Tests and 10th in ODIs.

The Test team have endured a significant decline in fortunes since they were the most feared side in world cricket for a period from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.

The Caribbean islanders have won three of 15 Tests since Coley took charge on an interim basis in December 2022, although that did include a notable victory over Australia in Brisbane earlier this year.

“We recognise and appreciate Andre’s efforts during his tenure, and look forward to him serving West Indies cricket in other meaningful capacities,” said the CWI’s director of cricket Miles Bascombe. “We are confident that there will be a seamless transition from Andre to Daren for the Test (team), both are professionals who have worked productively in the past.”

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2024